Alphabet Play Program for Oakville Kids - The Letter 'O'

momstown Oakville's May Alphabet Play event was all about the letter 'O'!  We had a great session at the Oakville Soccer Club today and explore all the things Oakville moms and kids had brought that started with O.  Then we sang "Old Macdonald Has A Farm" and "If You're Happy and You Know It" using actions for things that start with O.  Our letter 'O' craft was making an octopus so to get us into a sea-like mood we read "Into the A B Sea" and "Commotion in the Ocean".  Each child got to make their own octopus using a paper plate, ribbons and little 'o' shaped stickers.  To make your own octopus craft, draw a face on the paper plate, cut ribbons/streamers into 8 legs, glue them around the plate, and then make suction cups on our legs using the o stickers.

The grand finale was when we talked about 'o' being for orchestra and made a marching orchestra, using shakers and bells and we used the tapping sticks to practice tapping to the beat and going fast, slow, loud and quiet.

For the month June we will learn all about the letter 'P'.  Come on out and join our early literacy programs, click here to sign up and get in on the fun!  Did you know that when you buy a one year momstown membership you also get a 12 month subscription to Today's Parent magazine?  No better time to become a member!

How To Get Rid Of Ants In Your House

The momstown Oakville message board has many Oakville moms complaining about ants coming into their kitchens, bathrooms, etc.  You can always call a professional to come in and take care of the problem but if you don't want to spend a lot of money and want something that you can use year after year, here are a few easy remedies that should keep the ants out of your house!

Rumoured To Be Most Effective To Keep Ants Out:
Mix of 1 cup of water, 5 Tbsp of sugar and 1/2 Tbsp of Borax (can buy this at most grocery stores) and leave it on the floor for them to drink. They'll bring it to their nest and will get rid of all of them in a day.  Put this mixture where the ants are seen inside your house and also outside the house by any doors you think they may be using to get in.  This mixture is toxic so make sure it is out of reach to kids and pets.

Other Ideas:

1.  Vacuum up some baby powder (which they find toxic) and then vaccum up the group or trail of ants.

2.  Make a mixture of rubbing alcohol, dish soap and water. Get a spray bottle, making sure to wash it out very well, and place about a teaspoon of rubbing alcohol and about a teaspoon and a half of dish soap. Then fill the spray bottle with water about an inch away from the top and close it up tight. Shake the solution until bubbles start to appear and then you're ready to spray! Because of the alcohol in the solution, the ants will stay clear away from it.  Spray this over thresholds and window sills.  You can leave small amounts of this solution in bottle caps around the areas where ants were seen.

3.  Leave out some cornmeal in bottle caps or on small pieces of tin foil.   Ants eat it and after consuming water, the cornmeal swells inside their digestive organs, killing the ants.  This is a non toxic solution.

4.  Apply scents and substances that ants don't like. Vinegar, peppermint oil, cinnamon, black pepper, cayenne pepper, whole cloves, and bay leaves are all examples that have varying claims of success by sprinkling one of these options across door thresholds or entry ways.

And to be proactive, make sure you aren't leaving any food out on the counter (even crumbs) or dirty dishes in the sink and wipe out the kitchen sink too.  If you have pet food on the floor, put the food bowl in a larger dish with some water in it, creating a moat around the pet food that ants won't cross.

There are many great things about the Spring and Summer seasons but ants in the house isn't one of them!  If you have any other tried and true methods, leave us a comment and let us know.  Good luck to all those trying to get rid of ants, hopefully you find something from this list that works for you.

Brantford Circle Square Ranch Summer Camp - An Adventure Experience For Kids

Brantford Circle Square Ranch is a Christian, non-denominational, non-profit organization, welcoming youth of any faith and race. They encourage young lives to grow spiritually, mentally, socially and physically in an exciting, fun-filled and safe adventure experience.  Summer camp is an outstanding opportunity for your child to meet new friends, try new things and enjoy a safe, fun-filled positive, caring environment. Brantford Circle Square Ranch prides themselves on accomplishing all those things and more!

From early morning to evening campers enjoy a variety of amazing activities. Climbing their 35' cargo net, swinging across the high ropes course, hitting the bullseye in archery, riding a horse for the first time, relaxing in the pool, enjoying a good meal, hanging out with friends or finishing off the day gathered around the camp fire  Camp is a fantastic vacation for kid's (and a break for parents). Brantford Circle Square Ranch endeavours to provide not only an outstanding camping experience, but a life changing one.

Located about an hour away from Oakville, Brantford Circle Square Ranch does offers camper pick up from Oakville Place.  Day camps for ages five and up, girls only or boys only options, discovery camp, horse lover's camp and more...there is certainly something for everyone!  Click here to read about all their camp options and prices.

Read what some of the parents of last year's campers had to say about their kids camp experience with Brantford Circle Square Ranch:

"The boys loved all the activities and especially loved the variety offered. The rock wall, high ropes, ziplining, mountain boarding, skate park and biking were favourites though!"

"New experiences being on a ranch - swimming, archery, horses and tack program, campfires, etc. Very great first camp experience for my 5 year old, very different from a traditional daycare setting."

"I loved how positive and organized the staff were. You can tell they truly enjoy being at the camp and working with the children. The camp counselor was awesome! I had the opportunity to hear the camp fire songs and see how much the kids really connected with each other. It was touching to see how much they bonded over the week."

Click here to see pictures of their fabulous facility and activities.  If you've been looking for a unique and positive camp experience for your kids this summer - you've found it!  To find out more about registration, click here or contact Brantford Circle Square Ranch with any questions you may have.

May Tales for Tots - Early Literacy Program for Oakville Moms and Kids

momstown Oakville moms and kids gathered at The Little Gym for our monthly early literacy program sponsored by Scholastic Canada.  This month's Tales for Tots book was called 'Split! Splat! by Amy Gibson. The book went very well with our theme for May which was all about getting wet, wet, wet!  And as much fun as water can be, the best way to keep dry is to make sure you have an umbrella so the kids made their own!

Here is what you need to make these cute umbrellas:

-Coloured foam for the umbrella base
-A pipe cleaner for the handle
-Plenty of sticker shapes, pom poms or whatever you have on hand to jazz them up!
-Glue stick
-Tape to keep the handle in place

Congratulations Alex!

We admired our creations during snack time and then read 'Spilt! Splat! which is a really great story about celebrating and enjoying a rainy day.  As always at our Tales for Tots program, we gave away a copy of the book and Alex was our proud winner this month-congratulations Alex!  The kids also enjoyed some free play time which allows Oakville moms a good chance to connect and chat.  We'd love to have you join us next time!

Oakville Moms Get Their Game On With A Mattel Games Night!

I have lots of fond memories playing board games and card games.  And when we posted a Moms Night Out Game Night on the momstown Oakville calendar, others must have similar memories to me as we had many moms anxious to get playing!

We were lucky to have Mattel Game On send us several games to choose from -  Mad Gab, Apples to Apples, Blockus, Uno Power and Angry Birds as well as some dice games, which would be really great for travel.  Not familiar with these games?  Make sure you check out Mattel's new Gameology App that will help you find the perfect game to fit your gaming style.  Are you an Activus, a Socialies, a Wittian or a Strategicorn, click here to find out!

As we opened the games and started to play, it was fun to hear everyone's stories about family games nights or memories of games they liked to play as kids or up at the cottage.  Playing board games or card games is a really fun way to spend an evening!

My favourite part of this event was how much laughter there was!  Good for the soul for sure.  How can you not laugh playing Mad Gabs and trying to figure out what  'Abe Lackey Leg Tricked Host Her' is supposed to be?  We also had a blast playing Apples to Apples...from Norman Rockwell to Salsa Dancing to Rust...how can all these things be part of the same game??  Well that is just part of what makes it so fun to play!

Starting the love of games early with this little one!

Thanks to all the momstown Oakville moms who came out to play last night.  By the end of the night, we were already picking what games we would play for the next Games Night!  We ended the event by giving away a few games so that the fun can continue at home.  Don't worry, if you didn't join us last night, you still have a chance to win some fabulous games as we're giving away a Mattel Game On prize pack - enter here!

And We're Out Of The Baby Phase?!

I had a lovely Mother's Day weekend complete with a pedicure, a delicious breakfast, a spin class and some adorable hand made gifts from my kids.  This was my fourth Mother's Day and as I reflected on motherhood in general, I was left with the realization that we seem to be all of a sudden out of the baby phase?!

I know its not really 'all of a sudden', my youngest is two and it did take two years for her to get there of course, but lately my baby days seem to be far behind me.  I just bought the sheets that will go on my daughter's big girl bed and we will soon be moving the crib out into the garage and trying to figure out what to do with it.  I will be sad when we move it out, but am also really happy - we finally feel like we're not in crisis mode all the time!  I use the word 'crisis' with humour - we were never really in crisis.  But the sleepless nights, the nap time/feeding time routines are behind us, in fact, most of the time I don't even take a diaper bag out with me anymore as the list of what we need to leave the house has gotten a lot smaller.  Both kids can drink from cups, sit in regular chairs and eat regular foods, etc.

No more diaper bag!

We are also having a lot of fun!  Babies are cute, don't get me wrong, but kids are fun!  I love playing games with them, watching their creativity and their interests develop.  I love seeing them develop real friendships, ask questions and be curious about the world around them.  There are also a lot more things that we can do together, which I love.

And there there is the perk of feeling a bit more like myself.  While my kids are always on my mind and by no means self sufficient yet (when does that happen?  8 or 10 years old?) I do feel like I can focus a bit more on me and things that I used to have more time for.

I will miss my babies being babies (although getting a new niece at the end of July will satisfy my need for baby sweetness) but am also looking forward to a great summer!  Last summer we seemed to be divided a lot as my daughter was still having two naps so my husband was out and about with my son and I stayed close to home with her.  This summer, we are ready to explore all kinds of adventures as a family and I can't wait!

Decadent Cookie Dough Dip Recipe

Last week I attended a pampered chef party hosted by a momstown Oakville member.  In addition to it being a very fun night out, there were also some delicious snacks to enjoy.  One that got my attention, as I hadn't seen anything like it before, was Cookie Dough Dip!  Sound decadent?  It is!  But its perfect for a party and will absolutely be a crowd pleaser.

Photo credit

Decadent Cookie Dough Dip Recipe

4 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup Butter, softened
1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter (or Sunbutter or WOW butter for a nut-free version)
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
1.5 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 cup Oats (regular or quick)
1/2 cup Plain regular or mini sized M&Ms
1/2 cup Miniature Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Mix cream cheese, butter, vanilla and peanut butter until smooth.  Stir in brown sugar and powdered sugar, mixing well. Next fold in oats, M&Ms and chocolate chips.

Serve with something sturdy to scoop the dip like graham crackers, pretzels or pita chips.  This recipe is easily doubled if you have a large crowd.